National upscale resale franchise NTY (New to You) Franchise Company, headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, will open their 200th store on Thursday, November 10. Device Pitstop, NTY Franchise Company’s mobile and electronic device resale franchise, will have the honor of achieving the company milestone when they open the doors of their new franchise unit in Newport News, Virginia.

“We’re very excited to open our 200th store in Newport News, Virginia this November,” NTY Franchise Company COO Chad Olson (pictured above) said. “The opening signifies our continued growth and commitment to meeting the modern consumer’s need for high-quality clothing, devices and other items at an affordable price.”

Founded in 2006 by Ron Olson, NTY Franchise Company features five resale brands, all with a different focus: Clothes Mentor, Children’s Orchard, Device Pitstop, New Uses, and NTY Clothing Exchange. Their brands cover everything from women’s designer fashions, children’s apparel and accessories, furniture and household goods, electronic sales and repair, and clothing for teens and young adults. All brands feature cutting-edge technology, support, and lucrative franchising opportunities to help candidates establish resale stores throughout the United States.

This article, originally published on huffingtonpost.com, mentions NTY Franchise as a growing company in the booming resale industry. Read on to learn why franchising a resale store is such an appealing option for entrepreneurs:

Graphic courtesy huffingtonpost.com

By Yatin Khulbe

It goes without saying that finding the right balance between a successful retail strategy and an approach that sets yourself apart can be a big challenge.

After all, an increasing number of new businesses fail each year while attempting to break into the seemingly impenetrable arena of modern retail.

The wall of the booming big box and major brand monoliths isn’t entirely impenetrable, however. Surprisingly, a number of upcoming retail contenders and franchises have taken an unorthodox approach to the resale market in recent years.

They prefer to focus on cultivating an upscale atmosphere and level of service usually reserved for their conventional and big brand counterparts.

So how did “resale retail” go from a budget niche to a booming new brand of resellers with increasing interest and profit margins?

Here are some of the points which encouraged resellers in coming up with smart and unconventional strategies in recent years:

Flexible Points of Entry

The unique nature of upscale resellers as an up-and-coming industry often mean that aspiring entrepreneurs looking to break into store management or ownership can enjoy more substantive options to finance a small business.

The availability of franchise opportunities among national resale parent companies has skyrocketed recently.

Resale is a multi-billion dollar a year industry because it attracts the consumers from all economic levels.

Why are buyers are excited about resale deals?

The answer is simple.

Everyone wants to save money on consumer goods and utilize it for vacations, child education, retirement funds, and various family activities.

Breaking into franchise management can traditionally serve as a safer starting point for those getting their start in ownership across a variety of industries.

Companies looking to expand the influence of their existing resale branding have substantially increased the availability of options for management newcomers in recent years.

What does it mean?

A minor nest egg can be invested with a greater range of strategies for those looking to make the most out of their existing experience in retail and business.

Unfortunately, the majority of small businesses generally won’t expect to yield profit margins in the first months (or even years) of operation.

If a budding retail entrepreneur doesn’t find this initial period of low profits viable or attractive, a partnership with an existing upscale resale franchise can often provide valuable options for getting the ball rolling.

Consistent Consumer Experience

Traditional resellers have often relied on lower than standard profit margins and nonprofit dichotomies focus on providing a service to the local community.

On the other hand, upscale resale stores concentrate on consumer experience by understanding the needs and desires of their buyers.

Modernized resellers provide no restraint shopping experience to the customers. It allows for more competitive price points while still retaining the attractive benefits of a resale outlet experience. Resale businesses with a focus on this above-par shopping experience include growing resellers such as NTY (New To You).

Why modern resellers overpower traditional counterparts?

It’s win-win for both the parties.

Consumers lock down lower prices while still enjoying the experience and atmosphere that come with new goods retailer.

The benefit doesn’t extend solely to customers.

The smooth shift towards an upscale customer experience means that owners and franchisees can expect to enjoy an operative experience and keep up with the steadily rising revenue of retail frontrunners as well.

Strong Support Systems

Breaking into uncharted territory doesn’t mean that resale franchises are going alone. In fact, a vast majority of resale stores rely on the framework of support networks that allow them to fall back on training opportunities, marketing materials, and more.

The main question arises:

Why are they helping each other?

A range of prospective overhead costs is saved which require a lion’s share of time and money.

As a result, this support mechanism allows room for innovation.

Lower Overall Risk When Taking the Leap

The idea of kicking off small businesses looks very attractive, but it often leads to lower than anticipated profits. The standard new retail venture without well-timed market research means failing within the first year or even less timeframe.

On the more optimistic flip side, from the very beginning, resale retailers break into the market with the convenient advantages.

For example, reliance on inventory that stems from donated clothing, furniture, or even the computer hardware take away the pain of investing in new stocks.

Without investing deeply in product purchases on the front end, the same investment can be allocated for primary concerns such as property and operation overheads.